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Unanswered Questions from the RB51 Situation

written by

Aaron Miller

posted on

July 12, 2019

As you may already know, the farmer’s milk was found to be contaminated with RB51 in January 2019. Although the issue has been resolved, the farmer knows that there is still confusion around this issue. He lost a good amount of customers and still gets questions about RB51 every so often.

So, the goal of this week’s news is to go back in time. Let’s review what happened and answer some questions that may still be outstanding.

When the farmer found out that his milk contained RB51, it was scary. He had two goals: (1) Solve the problem; and (2) Protect the farm and his customers’ access to farm food.

The farmer quickly decided to work with the Real Food Consumer Coalition. They did an excellent job dealing with government agencies and did their best to keep customers informed with accurate information and to answer their questions. Many thanks to RFCC!

Looking back, the farmer does wish he did a better job with customer service. I relay his deepest apologies for that. Much was learned through this situation. If there ever is a crisis again, it will likely be handled differently so our customers feel safe and confident with their food choices.

Now on to the story and unanswered questions.

What is RB51?


RB51 is a manmade strain of brucellosis that is used in the brucellosis vaccine. 

How common is it for a human to be infected with RB51? With brucellosis?


According to the CDC, there are three reported RB51 cases since August 2017, and there are 80-100 reported cases of natural brucellosis in humans each year.

Did anyone get sick with RB51 from drinking Miller’s Biodiversity Farm milk?


One of the farm’s customers became ill and went to the hospital. Once they disclosed they drank raw milk, they were tested for numerous blood borne pathogens. The RB51 test came back positive.

To date, this is the only positive RB51 test from someone who drank Miller’s Biodiversity Farm milk.

Why did the milk have RB51 in it?


RB51 is specific to the brucellosis vaccine. Although rare, it is possible for a cow to shed RB51 in their milk. 

How many cows on the farm had the brucellosis vaccine?


Four.

How many cows on the farm were shedding RB51?


One.

Does the farmer vaccinate his cows?


No, the farmer does not vaccinate his cows.

So, how did the cows get the brucellosis vaccine?


Many years ago, the farmer was converting his herd to 100% A2 cows. He purchased these four cows from another farm that did vaccinate them for brucellosis.

Did the farmer know these cows received a brucellosis vaccine?


No, he did not. That information was unfortunately not disclosed to him during the purchase. The farmer he purchased them from was also not aware of any such vaccine.

How did the farmer find out that the farm’s milk was contaminated with RB51?


When the RB51 human test came back positive, the customer let the farmer know. They also informed the NY State Department of Health and the CDC of the source of the milk. The farm was immediately put under quarantine.

Does the farmer’s milk still have RB51 in it?


No, absolutely not. The quarantine would not have been lifted is there was any chance of RB51 in the milk.

What happened to the four cows that received the brucellosis vaccine?


The one cow that was shedding was moved to a CDC testing facility. They are a bit stumped as to why she’s still shedding years after receiving the vaccine and would like to know more.

The three other cows that are not shedding are still on the farm. Their milk is not and will not be included in the bulk milk. The farmer is looking to relocate them to a conventional farm, but this will take some time.

What actions have been taken to prevent a situation like this again?


Well, gee, a lot. 

First, the farmer will never buy cows without requesting all records including all veterinarians and vaccine records.

The farmer is now a certified raw milk producer by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. They will test his milk twice a year for numerous pathogens. They also require a licensed veterinarian to do yearly brucellosis tests for every cow.

The farmer also tests every batch of milk on site. These tests are for general bacteria count and help him diagnose and solve problems quickly. 

And, of course, the farmer keeps his facilities and equipment spotless. This helps significantly in keeping the cows healthy and the milk safe.

You can learn more about the farmer’s raw milk safety practices here.

If you still have any outstanding questions, please let us know. Happy to help!

Farm Updates

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How did pork get a bad rep anyway? Why is Miller's pork exceptional?

Did you know that, globally, pork is the #1 meat? According to the UN, 10% more pork is eaten compared to poultry worldwide. And, 50% more pork is eaten compared to beef worldwide. Wow! But, for some reason, this isn't the case in the US. According to the USDA, pork ranks #3 when it comes to meat. Americans eat 30% less pork compared to poultry and 15% less compared to beef. Why is this? Well, pork has gotten a pretty bad rep in the US. Of course there are some religions that prohibit pork, but that's not the leading factor.  Some reasons why pork has a bad rep. 1- Too much saturated fat.  The low fat craze started in the 1970s and fizzled out in the 1990s. It came from the belief that (1) fat makes us fat; and (2) that too much saturated fat = high cholesterol = bad things like heart disease and cholesterol. These myths have been debunked. Read more in fats and health blog post. The bottom line is that not all fats are created equal. Natural animal fats from happy, healthy animals are good. It's those highly processed hydrogenated saturated fats that are bad. In other words, eat all the pork fat! 2- Worry about disease.  People still seem to think they can get sick from pork. There's fear of parasites (like the roundworm Trichinella spiralis that can cause trichinosis) or bacteria or other things.  The reality is that getting sick from pork is really rare nowadays. If you cook pork properly, you don't need to worry about disease. Muscle meat (like chops or tenderloin) should be cooked to 145F. Ground meat and organs should be cooked to 160F.  3- Worry of bad ingredients.  This only relates to processed pork like hot dogs and bacon and ham. There's truth to this one. Nitrates and nitrites, commonly used in curing conventional pork, have been shown to cause cancer and other health issues. And stabilizers, artificial colors, preservatives, and other additives have been linked to negative health outcomes, too. But, this isn't the case for all pork. How meat it's processed matters a lot. At Miller's, we don't put any of that yucky junk in our meat, even the salami and bacon and sausages (more on that below). 4- Worry that eating pork will have a negative affect on your blood.  The Weston A. Price Foundation did a bunch of research on this. It's true that plain pork can cause blood clotting and inflammation. However, properly preparing pork (by marinating it in vinegar or naturally curing it) or by eating pork with fermented veggies like sauerkraut removes these negative effects. Read more about pork and your blood in this blog post. 5- The belief that pigs are "dirty".  I think this one mainly comes from the fact that pigs roll around in mud. They do this to protect their nearly hairless bodies. It's like natural sunscreen. It doesn't mean the meat is dirty at all. It may also come from the fact that pigs are often treated as garbage disposals. They will literally eat anything. And that includes kitchen scraps, meat processing scraps, curdled milk, and more. But again, not all pork is created equal. When you source from trusted farms, you can actually know that the pigs are eating clean food and are rolling around in chemical-free mud.  6- Strange rumors that pigs are deformed. This one came from Nailea on the farm. At some point, she watched a video about how some pigs are born without buttholes or have odd deformities or become cancerous. Yet, despite their weirdness, they're still raised for meat. I don't know how true this is for conventional pigs. But, it's certainly not true for our pigs. They are intact and happy and healthy. And our processor would never give us meat that's weird or cancerous. Why you should eat pork. I'm here to inform you that, when produced naturally and properly, pork is pretty awesome.  It's high in protein, zinc, iron, and B vitamins (particularly the "anti-stress" vitamin B1 - read more about thiamine and pork in this blog post). It's packed with quality, healthy saturated fats. And it's the most affordable meat and can be produced year round.  This is why people around the world love pork. I think you should love pork, too! Miller's pork is not just any old pork.  Here are 6 quick reasons it stands above the rest: 1- Woodland raised.  Our pigs get plenty of exercise and forage for countless nuts and grubs and roots. This diverse diet gives our pork some extra flavor. And you can be assured that the environment is free of chemicals and is a happy place for our pigs to live. 2- Corn & soy free.  This means low PUFA and no chance of GMOs. We haven't tested our pork like we did for our chicken and eggs. But, if we did, I assume we'd get similar results with our pork having balanced omegas and packed with vitamins and minerals. 3- Heritage breeds.  Our pigs are Berkshire, Duroc, Red Waddle, and Black crosses. These heritage breeds are known for their intensity of flavor, juiciness, marbling, and tenderness. It's nothing like the bland, dry pork you often get at the grocery store. 4- No junk like nitrates or additives.  We reduce toxins and anything unnatural as much as possible. Our bacon is cured simply with Celtic sea salt (in a store it would have "uncured" on the label). Our sausages have clean ingredients, no weird thickeners or preservatives. Our salami is cured naturally with celery juice powder. 5- Washed in organic apple cider vinegar.  No harsh chemicals like bleach or citric and lactic acids touch our pork. We are so fortunate to have a naturally minded processor! 6- No drugs.  We don't vaccinate. We don't give antibiotics or hormones or anything like that. Through a natural diet and lifestyle, our pigs stay naturally healthy. Do you eat pork? Why or why not? What do you look for when shopping for pork? I'd love to hear from you. Comment below - no account required (start typing for the guest option to appear). 😊 ----- SOURCES: UN Report: Livestock commoditiesUSDA: Chicken leads U.S. per person availability of meat over last decade False Facts About Pork Everyone Actually BelievesIs Pork Bad for You? Here's What a Dietitian Has to Say